


The Dolls

by Macabre16



Category: Original Work
Genre: Dolls, Gen, Haunting, Paranormal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2014-10-12
Packaged: 2018-02-20 17:35:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2437094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Macabre16/pseuds/Macabre16
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a young girl and her mother move into their distant relative's house that they inherited, it soon reveals that the house holds dark secrets<br/>never told to the family...until they learn. When it's too late.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Moving In

~Massachusetts, 1971~

It was like any other day, sunny with a few clouds scattered along the blue sky. A small town in Massachusetts sat, in its own little place.   
It was a simple little place.  
It had a few aged house built of faded boards of brown, yellow, and white. A small church, a grocery market, and schoolhouse were also contained. A few blocks away from the church lay the local Cemetery, founded in 1816. It was old.

Separating from the Cemetery with a few bushes and an old, scraggly oak tree, there was a house. A house that was two stories high, and had a lovely view of the graveyard through the tree branches. The sky above was gloomier than the rest of the town's sky.  
The old 1910 house was painted a dull shade of grey, and the door was a deep shade of red. Mahogany, to be exact.  
There was a large backyard, with a wooden fence you could climb over to walk to the town. The yard was a garden, complete with a cracked granite birdbath, a dying pear tree, and a small patio set, composed of a table and 4 chairs.  
The ambience that surrounded the house was cold, gloomy, and mysterious...as if the house was sitting like an animal. An animal that was hungry, waiting for its prey to come along.  
Unaware, foolish prey.

The silent gloom was broken by the sound of a car pulling into the old gravel driveway. A dark green Mercedes, drove by a middle-aged woman. Sitting behind her, in the backseat, was her 4-year old daughter. The car stopped in the dimness of the house's shadow.  
"Here we are, Anna! Our new home."  
The little girl looked up from her coloring book, which was balanced on her lap. She got onto her knees to look out the windshield ahead.  
"It looks old, Mama."  
Mrs. Bensin turned off the ignition, and looked at her directions, from her relative. "I know it is, sweetie. It belonged to a distant family member of mine. That's why we're living here now. She...gave the house away at a very low price."

Their old house, in one of Massachusetts's bigger towns, they had left, for the rent had become too great to pay. Mr. Bensin, who'd been supporting the pay with his work, was gone; he'd gotten a case of food poisoning, which later turned into E.Coli, dying in the hospital a few weeks later. Because Mrs. Bensin had no job, she scraped together whatever money they had left, and tried to continue the rent. When the mother and daughter had to move out, a letter came to them, seemingly out of the blue.

It was a letter from Mrs. Bensin's distant sister. She hadn't been heard from since before Anna was born. Mrs. Bensin never really cared for her sister, whose name was Lorleina. She was rather...strange, if you'd use the term lightly.  
Lorleina had grown up in the old house since her family moved there in 1910, and her strangeness had been shown since she was able to walk. For example, at age 7, she had taken her mother's sewing scissors and slowly cut the arms and legs off of her rag dolls.  
When she was a young adult, 18 years, Lorleina was a teacher at the schoolhouse. The students were almost immediately aware of her eccentricity.   
Although it was usually sunny most days, her skin was paler than it should have been. She took to wearing dark-colored Victorian dresses, complete with a corset and, on occasion, a crinoline. When in public, she'd wear wide-brimmed hats trimmed with short veils and battered roses. Her 'special occasion' hat was decorated with a dusty, moth-eaten stuffed bird; a crow.  
Lorleina had even had a daughter; she had written to Mrs. Bensin on the day she was born. But 4 years later, she had written a tear-dotted note saying that her young girl, Dollia, had succumbed to a respiratory problem. Lorleina's husband had followed shortly after.  
Though Lorleina was known all around the town, she never went to church; she rarely even left her house, except when to go teach.  
Her strange behavior caused all the children in the village to think the same about her.

She was rumored to be a witch.

But Mrs. Bensin knew little of this. She just thought her sister had a screw or three loose in her lace-covered head.  
But, returning to the story, the letter had almost seemed like...some kind of will. It came in an envelope looking like it had been stained with tea. It smelled of wet moss and old cloves, and it was sealed with reddish-purple wax.

~Letter sent to: Mrs. Amelia Bensin, from Ms. Lorleina Shadeson Bensin~

Dear Amelia,  
I am most grievingly sorry for the loss of your husband. I had a feeling this day would come. It would come soon. And it did.  
Due to your unemployment, I expect you have little money left in order to keep that old house of yours. You may be looking for a place to go.   
To this day, I've been making arrangements; I pass you down the shelter of my family home, where I grew up. Both you and your dear little daughter may  
live here for a mere 250 dollars. That's all I ask. I don't need much. All value I've given has already been given. You need not pay rent per month. I have   
included the directions, key, and address.  
Leave your furniture; only bring what you must keep dear to your heart. I will not be taking any of my own things.

The house will wait for your residence.  
Your Distant Sister, Lorleina

Following the rules, Mrs. Bensin had taken Anna, their dearest belongings, and the car, and set out for the 8 hour drive. Which brings us to where they are at the moment.

Anna opened the door and clambered out. "Mama, c'mon! I wanna see what's inside!" She bounced up and down, her little plaited pigtails of light brown flying everywhere.   
"Okay, okay, I'm coming, hon." Mrs. Bensin got out of the car, and stretched. "What a drive..." She took the old, brass key from her pocket, took Anna's hand and the two walked to the door.  
Anna reached for the doorknob with her little hand, but Mrs. Bensin gently pushed it back down. "No, honey; we must knock. It's polite to kno-"

The door suddenly creaked open. 

There, standing in the doorway, was Lorleina.  
For the age of 61, she looked pretty young. She had a few wrinkles in her forehead, and that was about it. Her figure looked to be that of a young woman's. Her long Auburn hair, slightly streaked with grey, hung down her shoulders in puffy curls. She was clad in the usual fashion, a long, violet taffeta gown, black lace and ribbons dripping down the front. A dark red fur cap was draped over her shoulders, to keep the coldness of the gloom off.

"Oh..! Oh my, hello..." said Mrs. Bensin.  
Lorleina gave her a smile. Not a comforting smile, but a smile that gave off a smoky hint of...evil....  
"Dear, dear Amelia. How are you?" She laid a hand on Mrs. Bensin's shoulder. Her hand was cold.  
Mrs. Bensin (Who we will from now on call Amelia), flinched. "I'm doing fine..." She awkwardly used her own hand to push off Lorleina's.  
"I do hope you'll like this domain of mine..." Her eyes strayed down to Anna, who was no higher than her waist. "My goodness...." She kneeled down, her dress whispering softly. "Are you little Anna?"  
Anna looked down shyly, then back up, and twirled one of the ends of her braids with her finger. "Hello," she said politely.  
Lorleina gently took Anna's hand in hers. "I'm your Aunt Lorleina, little one...are you happy to move into where I lived when I was your age?"  
Anna bobbed her head up and down. "Uh huh." Anna was young, but she knew how to be polite, in the way of saying 'yes' when she really thought 'no'.  
"Inside, there's a special room just for you, my dear...it was my old room, The Nursery. It's still just like the way it was when I was your age. I even left you and your mother a couple of little housewarming presents.

Anna became more excited. She smiled, her eyes lighting up like little sparkly lamps. Without another word, she ran inside. 

Loreina stood up and faced Amelia. "So...I shall see that you love the house, my sister." She walked down the two steps. "I shall bid you farewell." She walked out, past the driveway, into the road.  
"Wait...where are you going? Don't you have a car?"  
Amelia did a double-take, and found herself staring at an empty place where her sister had been standing.

She had vanished.


	2. Anna's Finding

Amelia stood there, dumbstruck; it was as if Lorleina had vanished into thin air.

Swallowing, Amelia slowly shrugged it off. Maybe it was just the stress of moving into such an old house...yes, that was most likely it. Maybe she'd just walked off quickly.   
Amelia then went to the car. Opening the trunk, she said to herself, "Well, the stress will only increase if we're not unpacked by tonight..."

Meanwhile, little Anna, who had ran inside, was exploring the place that was to be her soon 'home-sweet-home'.  
It was a very large place. A person even a few years older than Anna would possibly get lost in there. But the house held a kind of...feeling. A feeling that made its depths somewhat welcoming to a child. A feeling that made itself easy to explore for its inhabitants.  
Anna made her way through the parlor when she had first entered. The faded wallpaper held an elaborate pattern of vines and roses; it seemed more like a museum. A long, black-and-white photograph hung in a neat silver frame on the right wall. Standing on her toes, Anna saw who was in it; Two stern-looking adults, a lovely-looking girl with silver-colored ringlets and a long white dress, and standing slightly apart from them, was a girl who looked to be Anna's age; a girl with long dark hair, wearing a dark grey dress covered with a white pinafore. The hairstyle, and the facial features made Anna realize: It was Auntie Lorleina.  
The little Lorleina in the portrait stared at the other girl with a look of deep concentration. As if she were thinking.  
Next, Anna continued into the Living area; there was a large, dimly lit living-room, complete with a large grand fireplace, fancy furniture, and an old goose-neck telephone sitting on the coffee table.  
A door led out into a hallway, then going straight ahead, led into a kitchen and dining room area; the dining table was set for what appeared to be a tea-party for five. No tea, just teacups.  
Back into the hallway, Anna walked down it and climbed a tall staircase made of beautiful dark oak wood. She ran her little fingertips along the railing, feeling its smoothness. Smoother than silk.  
Upstairs, Anna came to three doors set in light brown walls; One, one the left side of the hall, was a standard white door with an intricately designed doorknob; opening it revealed the bathroom, containing a toilet, basin, sink, and a bathtub with clawed feet. The door on the right, a shiny grey door, entered into what appeared to be a big bedroom. Lorleina's most likely. It contained a large feather bed upon a brass bed frame, a vanity with a large mirror, a closet, and a bedside table holding a lamp with a shade made of blue silk.  
The final door, the one at the hall's end, was a deep, dark red. A beautiful shade of mahogany, it was. Red as a rose in the spring. Set in the middle of it was a small golden plaque saying the word: Nursery.  
"My room...!" breathed Anna. She eagerly turned the knob with both hands, and pushed the door open. Inside was the loveliest room she'd ever seen in her life.  
The room was brightly lit with a snug, golden light coming from a stained glass lamp. The shades were drawn; The room had such a nice, cozy feel. It was almost like it wanted to prepare itself for Anna.  
Everything was nicely swept clean; Not a speck of dust was to be seen. The back wall, above the bed, was a large, round window. A peek from it could reveal the entire backyard, the town, and a little bit of the cemetery. The white curtains were fancily crocheted with lace.  
The bed, made from polished white wood, sat in the middle of the room's back wall, its pillows plumped up and crisp, white sheets folded back in a triangle. It seemed like it was inviting someone to come curl up for a nap.  
To the right wall, there was a tall closet door. Anna ran to it and opened the door. Inside were lovely looking dresses, looking like they would belong to a princess her age. Dresses of colors in light blue, green, lilac, and light pink, all of them decorated with white lace and tiny roses made from ribbon. Anna hoped that her Mama might let her wear one.  
To the left of the bed, there was a play area; it had wonderful things! A small bookcase filled with fairy tales and picture books, a lovely dollhouse complete with all of its furniture and little figures inside, a small tea table and chairs for a girl and doll to have tea, and a small easel with little pencils and crayons neatly stacked in the wooden trough.   
But to the left side of the room, there was the most wonderful thing of all. On a long shelf that went along the wall were...

Dolls.

There were 4 dolls lined up on the shelf...and there was room for one more.  
Nearby, on a separate stand, was the 5th doll. Other than the rest, which looked older, this doll seemed new.  
The cloth doll's hair were golden-yellow ringlets, with a blue ribbon tied in a bow on the back of its head. Its long dress looked very slim, made of lacy white taffeta.   
The face of the doll had wide eyes embroidered in dark blue, its cheeks were blushed red as an apple, and its pink yarn mouth smiled.  
"Why were you separated?" Anna asked it. She took the doll in her hands, and placed it in the empty spot on the longer shelf. "There you go, all together." Anna smiled as she looked at them all.  
Something odd was going on with the dolls. The one that Anna had just moved looked happy, but the others looked...rather sad.  
One doll, dressed in a yellowish French gown, stared down to the ground with sad, glossy hazel eyes. She looked to be the oldest of the dolls, made a long, long time ago.   
Another doll looked like one of Little Bo-Peep, which was a story that Anna loved. The doll looked somber, as if she had lost her favorite little sheep. She was porcelain.  
The next doll looked to be from recent years- the 1950's; it was dressed in a sweet little poodle skirt, and had yarn hair tied up into a ponytail with a scrap of fabric.   
The final doll was a simple rag doll- it looked pitiful, and old. One button eye was gone, its brown thread mouth was sewn into a frown, it was half-scalped, and its dress was made of some burlap hastily stitched together with red cord.  
Each doll had a small plaque under them, reading names. The French doll- Marie. The Sheep Girl- Bo. The 1950's doll- Jess. The simple rag doll- Patch. The newest looking doll-Annika.  
But still, Anna was happy; she had more dolls than ever before to play with. And she couldn't wait to tell her Mama. She ran out of the room.

Downstairs, her Mama was talking on the phone with friends. "Why, yes Nancy....no, no, I wouldn't mind at all if you and the others came over...oh, of course you could-"  
"Mama! Mama! I wanna show you something! Upstairs, in my room, there are books and dresses and d-"  
Amelia spoke into the phone, "I will see you later, then." She hung up before turning to her daughter. "Anna, you KNOW it's not polite to disrupt a phone call like that..."  
Anna took her Mama's hand. "But, Mama! I went and saw the Nursery, and there're all sorts of thing! And dolls!"  
"Dolls?"  
"Yeah!"  
Amelia allowed herself to be dragged upstairs and into the Nursery.

"My goodness! How nice!" she exclaimed. She marveled at the coziness, at the toys and books, and then she saw the dolls.  
"Wow...so many! Have you named them, sweetie?" she asked.  
Anna pointed. "They already HAVE names, Mama."  
Amelia walked over and picked up the French doll. "So lovely...it almost looks like they were all handmade."  
"Maybe Auntie Lorleina made them."  
"Yes...Maybe..." She placed the doll back on the shelf. "Anyway, Anna, my friends are coming over to see the house. You'll stay up here, won't you?"  
"Yes, Mama." Anna glanced over at the dolls. "I'll be playing with my dolls all the while anyway!"

The newest doll stared with that grin...deep into Anna's eyes.

"It'll be fun."


End file.
